- A new sculpture has been unveiled on Tallawoladah Lawn.
- Created by artist Ai Weiwei, the new public artwork is titled Mushrooms.
- Forty metres in length, the installation comprises 500 cast-iron combat helmet sculptures.
A year after the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) unveiled Thomas J. Price’s striking gold sculpture Ancient Feelings on Tallawoladah Lawn, a new commission has arrived to take its place.
Created by acclaimed Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian and activist Ai Weiwei, the public artwork is titled Mushrooms and stretches 40 metres across the site.
Weiwei’s sculpture is the second artwork to be unveiled on the iconic patch of grass as part of the Neil Balnaves Tallawoladah Lawn Commission. The annual commission brings a major sculptural work by a leading Australian or international contemporary artist to the lawn each year, transforming the harbourfront space from spring through autumn until 2028.
The sculpture series, which is completely free to view, is made possible by a $3 million gift from The Balnaves Foundation, honouring the life of arts philanthropist and media executive Neil Balnaves AO.
Here’s a closer look at Weiwei’s commission, his intentions with the work and what he hopes the sculpture will evoke in those who experience it.
The story behind Mushrooms
Weiwei has been working on Mushrooms for the past eight years, developing a work that reflects on the human cost of conflict and the fragile line between war and peace.
Comprising 500 cast-iron sculptures of combat helmets presented in 10 uniform rows, the installation reimagines a symbol of war and protection. Visitors are invited to walk along the central pathway, taking in the subtle differences between each sculpture and viewing the work from different perspectives.
Weiwei has said the idea for Mushrooms was sparked by the German government’s donation of 5000 helmets to Ukraine in 2022. He described the gesture as a “political joke”, insufficient for the realities of modern warfare and particularly symbolic now, as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine prevails.
Through Mushrooms, Weiwei transforms the helmet into a visual meditation on conflict, survival and the hope for peace. He stated,
“In the era we live in, the 21st century, wars have not ceased. We continue to exist in a time where war and peace interchangeably assume each other’s roles, shaping the identity of our age. I hope this work prompts people to reflect on war and peace.”
But why is the installation called “Mushroom”? Weiwei explains that the title draws on the regenerative qualities of mushrooms, which transform decaying matter into new life. It evokes “growth in darkness, nuclear mushroom clouds, and in Chinese, the term also suggests endless delays.”
How was Mushrooms created?
To create Mushrooms, Weiwei employed artisans in a Chinese foundry to produce hundreds of iron sculptures based on various 20th-century combat helmets.
Each sculpture was made from a single mould and is a meticulous one-to-one replica, featuring the interior cushioning of the original design. The helmets have been placed on an elevated platform on Tallawoladah Lawn, with space for visitors to walk through the middle of them.
Despite the originality of Mushrooms, this large-scale, thought-provoking work is not a new concept for Weiwei.
His 2009 work Remembering was an installation of 9000 backpacks, commemorating the children killed in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2010, he created Sunflower Seeds, a presentation of millions of handcrafted porcelain seeds in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall to evoke the power of collective effort.
It’s also not Weiwei’s first large installation to make its way to Sydney. His 2017 work, Law of the Journey, a 60-metre-long inflatable artwork depicting hundreds of refugees crowded into a vessel, was first presented at the Biennale of Sydney in 2018.
Still, this new large-scale installation was an ambitious creation for Weiwei, who shared his gratitude to the MCA for their support.
“I feel very fortunate to have received the MCA’s support and confidence when I submitted this project. It demonstrates the willingness of the MCA’s creative and organisational teams to present challenging works to the public, as well as their remarkable openness to what artists seek to express about the realities they observe. It also reflects a profound commitment to free expression and a generous tolerance for artistic inquiry.”
Visitors will be able to check out Mushrooms on Tallawoladah Lawn until April 2027. You can find out more about it here.
